9.01.2009

My Favorite Poets

I am half-way through my experiment of eating comme les Francais. It is going well- although I did cheat this morning and ate my breakfast in front of the TV, watching the news. The wild fires in Southern California are terrible and I was shocked to find it raining ash when I took Gatsby for his morning walk! I will continue my experiment of mindful eating through the rest of the week and post my findings then. Thank you for your comments and for those of you who are doing the experiment with me. It is more fun to experience this with you!

In the meantime, I have had poetry on my mind. In a recent discussion with my friend on literature, I was amused to discover that my three favorite poets were so vastly different: Dorothy Parker, Percy Shelley and Pablo Neruda.

Dorothy Parker

Dorothy Parker was a genius with words. My favorite poem by her is:

The Flaw in PaganismDrink and dance and laugh and lie,Love, the reeling midnight through,For tomorrow we shall die!(But, alas, we never do.)

Percy Shelley

My parents gave me a book of poetry by Percy Bysshe Shelley for my 15th birthday and I have been in love ever since. His words are so visceral and evocative. His lyrical poetry was, in my opinion, his finest. Here is an excerpt from my favorite poem by Shelley:

And the sunlight clasps the earth And the moonbeams kiss the sea:What is all this sweet work worthIf thou kiss not me?-excerpt from Love's Philosophy

Pablo Neruda

And finally, Pablo Neruda. His poems- even translated into English- are so romantic and moving. The Captain's Verses is my favorite of his books.

In the night we shall go inup to its trembling firmament,and your little hands and minewill steal the stars

I love a lot of poetry. Some famous poets such as Shelley and others who are lesser known. I have been enjoying reading the poems of Mary Oliver lately. I think poetry is wonderful for inspiration and for enriching your life in all aspects. I try to read a poem a day. I'm not really familiar with Dorothy Parker but she is one person I keep meaning to read more on. xx